Exploring the Ethics and Morality of Bullfighting
A vegetarian reluctantly attends a Spanish bullfight.
I have a policy while travelling that I try and never say the word ‘no.’
Do you want to go get a drink? Yes.
Is one more round of sangria really a good idea? Yes.
So it is true that Australians have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol? Yes.
When I’m travelling, I don’t like to close myself off from new experiences and opportunities.
When I was living in Madrid and the question was ‘Do you want to come to a traditional Spanish bullfight?’ I had a little more trouble answering.
I was torn because I knew I would hate it and I didn’t want to financially support animal cruelty.
I spoke with my host family to get a local perspective. They said that they enjoyed the bullfights because they understood and appreciated the skill and ceremony behind it. For bullfighting aficionados, it is considered an art form with deep ties to Spanish heritage and is a symbol for Spanish culture. So I decided to approach it with an (attempted) open mind and said ‘yes’ to attending a bullfight.
The opening ceremony of the bullfight was actually quite appealing: a bunch of guys in sequinned outfits twirling pink and yellow capes — fabulous! Throw in a pasodoble and I would have been positively enthralled.
But then they brought out the bull and teased him with their capes. The matadors disorient the bull with their capes and prod his neck muscle with harpoons.
A blindfolded horse is brought in to the arena to stir up the bull — I saw the bull gore the horse and tip it over. Once the bull is agitated, the matador dances with the bull for about ten minutes before eventually piercing him with his sword.
At this point, the crowd goes wild cheering for the matador and waving white handkerchiefs to signal their approval. The bull slumps to his knees and then one of the banderillas stabs the bull in the head repeatedly until the bull finally dies. The matador then poses for his applause while the bull is dragged out of the arena.
It was confronting to watch.
In my opinion, I witnessed a cruel, slow torture of a confused animal, who was taunted and killed for entertainment. The ‘artistic’ side of bullfighting didn’t register with me at all. I know that the movements and the processes had some sort of significance to the Spanish audience, but I couldn’t marry this with the bull’s suffering.
Six fights were scheduled for the arena that day but I left after the third. I did not want to be there any more.
I regret having contributed to organised violence against animals as entertainment.
I know the tradition and the cultural significance behind the fight, but I feel like “culture” can so easily be used to excuse cruelty.
Ultimately, I understand the cultural ‘heritage’ of bullfighting in Spain, but I absolutely hate it. In my opinion, bullfighting is complete bullshit.
